China Expected Beneficiary of E-Car Industrial Espionage Caper

France's Renault SA, Japan’s Nissan Motor Company, and the government of France have invested heavily (the Epoch Times estimates over $4B) in electric car technologies. Now, three managers of Renault are suspected to have leaked related trade secrets to an "international spy network," which many think ultimately benefited the Chinese.

The extent of the theft was not speculated on, but the significance of it can be seen in Renault’s own predictions that by the year 2020, 10% of all new cars sold worldwide will be electric.

Nissan has already introduced the Leaf, and there are plans by the group to manufacture four more by the end of 2012. French President Sarkozy has officially asked the French Center on Intelligence Research to fact-find China’s involvement.